Grass-cutter



P. J. HAAS.4 GRASS CUNER.; APPucMxouFraise-n.6. (9m

1,367,380; Patented Feb. 1,1921.

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PHILIP JT HAAS,

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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

PHILIP J. HAAS, OF OMAHA, NEBRASKA.

GRASS-CUTTER. 4

T 0 all whom it may concern Be it lrnown that I, PHILIP J. HAAS, acitizen oi' the United States, and a resident of (lmaha, in the countyof Douglas and State of Nebraska, have invented certain new and usefulImprovements in Grass- Cutters, of which the following is a specication.

My invention relates to tools or implements for cutting grass and thelike, and it isthe object thereof to provide a device partcularlyadapted for use in place oi' a hand sickle or light scythe, as fortrimming borders, cutting small and medium-sized weeds, cutting grasswhen the saine is too high to be cut satisfactorily with a lawn-`inower, trimming grass on terraces or embanlrments, trimming ornamentalhedges, and similar uses. A special object of my invention is to proyidean in'ipleinent for such uses as above enumerated, wherewitli the usermay stand erect, grasp the hanille of the tool with both hands, and by afree swinging motion, without stooping or beinling the body, cause thecuttingl blade to move rapidly, near and substantially parallel with thesurface of either level or slopingl ground, so as to ont smoothly andevenly f any vegetation thereon. A further object of my invention is toarrange the handle and blade so that the resistance of the inaterial cutwill be substantially balanced with respect to the anis oi' the handleand not tend to cause rotation thereof. A further object of my inventionis to provide means for adjusting the angular relation of the blade andhandle, whereby the tool may be readily adapted for use in differentpositions, or for either right-handed or left-handed persons.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure l is a perspective view of a toolembodying my invention, Fig. 2 is a detail rear View of a portionthereof, and Fig. 3 is a detail side view, the blade being in section onthe line 3-3 of Fig. 2.

In the illustrated embodiment of vmy `invention, I provide a flat metalblade 5 which is curved slightly fromend to end and sharpened on itsfront or concave edge 6, the back or convex edge 7 having an additionalcurvature near the ends to produce a tapering eii'ect thereof, as shown.Adjoining the rear edge of the blade 5, intermediate its ends, a metalangle-plate 8 is Specification of Letters Patent.

secured thereto, said plate having a semicircular or D-shaped portionwhich extends' vertically when the blade is in a horizontal plane, andthe plane of said vertical portion extending longitudinally of theblade. Said vertical portion of the angle-plate has a central bolt-holetherein, and a series of similar holes 9 adjacent to the curved upperedge ofthe plate and spaced equiangularly about said central hole. Aflat bar 10 is secured pivotally to the angle-plate by means of a bolt11 passing through the central hole in the plate and through acorresponding hole near the rounded end of the bar. A second hole in thebar l0 is adapted to register with any one of the several holes 9,whereby a bolt l2 may be passed through the bar and plate to secure themtogether in any of the several angular relations determined by thelocation of said holes 9. A handle 13` is providedV and secured to thebar l0 as a prolongation thereof, the lower end of said handle beingslotted to receive the bar, which is secured thereto by means of bolts14 or the like. The handle is preferably made of a light, tough wood,`such as hickory, and may beV of circular cross-section but taperedslightly, so that the end adjacent to the cutting blade is smaller thanthe upper end or grip-portion thereof. The length of the handle is suchthat, when the blade 5 rests upon the ground and the handle j PatentedFeb. 1, 1921. Application led September 6, 1918. Serial No. 252,971. i

extends diagonally upward at an approximate angle of 60,from thehorizontal, the upper end or grip-portion will be at an elevation fromthe ground such as to be conveniently grasped with both hands by aperson of average height, without stooping or bendin The tool is shownin Fig. l as adjusted for use by a right-handed person for cuttingvegetation on a level 0r moderately sloping surface. In the use of theimplement as so adjusted, the handle 13 is grasped by the user with bothhands, the left hand immediately adjoining the upper end of the handle,and the right hand just below the left, the tool being so held that,when the handle `ertends diagonally downward and straight carry the heador blade portion back to the right, and then issu/'ung rapidly to thelett, toward the Vegetation to be cut, being controlled so that theblade Willrmove substan yof the implement is at the blade or headthereof, so' thatits momentum is effectively utilized in doing the Work.lt Will also be noted that, as the handle is connected with the centralportion of the blade, symmetrically to the ends thereof, the resistanceof the material cut has no tendency to rotate the handle. tWill beobvious that, by adjusting the angular relation of the blade and handle,the tool may be readily adapted for use by a left-handed person, or foruse on a sloping surface, as of a terrace or embankment, by a personstanding either above or belowthe level at which the cutting is done,or'for use in trimming vertically the side of an* ornamental hedge orthe like. It will be understood, however, that the principal use of thetool Will be in the normal adjustment -thereof, such as shown in `Fig.1, and that Vfor the more common purposes the handle might be fixedlyconnected'with the blade in 4'substantially the relative positiontherein shown. Y

NOW, having described my invention', what l claim and desire to lsecureby Letters Patcnt is:

l. A two-hand tool adapted for cutting grass and like vegetation andcomprising a relatively long flat substantially crescentshaped bladehaving a front concave cutting f edge and provided adjacent the rearconvex edge with lined plate extending upwardly perpendicular to theblade, and a light substantially straight handle pivoted to the liXedplate centrally of the blade and angularly adjustable in a planesubstantially at right angles to the plane delined by the cutting edgeof the blade and in a direction longitudinally oi' the latter forarranging the handle at an inclination and the blade either in ahorizontal position or in inclined gositien whereby the device isadapted to be operated with both hands with a rapid swinging movementfor cutting the grass of a horizontal or inclined surface.

2. two-hand tool for cutting grass and like vegetation comprising arelatively long fiat substantially crescent-shaped blade haring a frontconcave cutting edge and provided adjacent the rear edge with a lixedportion extending upwardly perpcinlicular to the blade, and a lightsubstantially straight handle secured to the said iixed portioncentrally of the blade. in a plane substantially right angles to theplane defined by the cutting edge of the blade, said handle beingarranged at an inclination and 'extending in a direction longitudinallyel the blade whereby the device is adapted to be operated with bothhands 'for rapid swinging movement.

PHILIP J. HAAS.

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